2011 Best of the West Team Profile – Italian Athletic Club

First in a series of ten team profiles for the 2011 Best of the West Tournament, to be played June 4-5, 2011 at Elings Park in Santa Barbara, California Click here for schedule of games for the 2011 tournament.

The Italian Athletic Club (IAC) softball team from Stockton, California is one of ten teams competing in this year’s 2011 Best of the West (BOTW) tournament. They’ll be competing in Pool B, against the Cal-State Builders, Pala Braves, Maccabi USA and CR/A1 Rockies.

The IAC Softball team from Northern California was founded 1937. (Ponder that for a moment. FDR was president. Lou Gehrig was playing for the NY Yankees. )

As the story goes, a group of Italian players and friends started a softball team. It became so popular that they decided to create a social club from it. Now, it has 300 plus members (many more world wide), a hall, chapter room, and bocce courts. They have had a softball team for the past 74 years.

The core of the current IAC team has been together for 10 years. IAC has won ASA National titles in 2008 and 2010.

The team won the Best of the West tournament in 2008 with pitcher Sebastian Gervasutti and Chase Turner earning MVP honors.

This year’s team feature pitchers Tyson Barkman, from Canada, Max Montero from Argentina, and Matt Barnes from the USA. Barkman and Montero are members of their respective National teams. (Canada and Argentina) Montero played for Argentina at the ISF World Championships in 2009, and for the Pueblo Bandits in 2008. He was named to the All Tournament team in at the Castro Concrete Tournament this past weekend in Austin, Texas.

Bryan Wells and Eddie Brooks are among the team’s top hitters.

The 2011 squad has its sights set on the ASA Nationals and ISC World Tournament, and will be trying to earn a bid to the latter in next weekend’s Best of the West tournament.

Roster for the 2011 Italian Athletic Club

PITCHERS
Barkman Tyson 21 P Abbotsford, BC
Montero Maximiliano P Argentina
Barnes Matt 6 P Los Angeles, CA

CATCHER
Wells Brian 30 If Stockton, CA

INF
Tisdale Josh 23 If Lodi, CA
Machado Larry 7 If Ripon, CA
Brooks Eddie 4 If Lockeford, CA
Waltier Dean 27 If Seattle, WA
Close James 34 If Bakersfield, CA

OF
Summers Mark 16 OF Lincoln, CA
Mandolesi Shawn 0 OF Bakersfield, CA
Jordan David 11 OF Rancho Murieta, CA

UTIL
Rowley Aaron 17 Util Stockton, Ca

Field manager
Marciasini, Marco 9 LODI, CA

Teams in the 2011 Best of the West Tournament
(Click links for other team profiles)

Pool A
California A’s
Liberty Fastpitch
Those Guys
Bakersfield Silverhawks
J&B Painting

Pool B
Cal-State Builders
Pala Braves
Maccabi USA
Italian Athletic Club
CR A1 Rockies